Underground electrical conductor



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. GREIVES & J. H. BLBOO.

UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR.

No. 291,715. Patented Jan. 8, 1884.

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(No Model.) ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. GREIVES 8: ,J. H. B LBOO. UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR.

NO. 291,715. Patented Jen. 8, 1884.

W Jemgwf/w l @d ZZ www? JOHN GREIVES AND .IGHN H. BLFOO, OF PATllRSGN, NEB.' JERSEY.

UNDERGRQUND ELECTRlCAL. CGNDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettere Patent No. 291,715, dated January 8, ISEL.

(No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it' may concern,.-

Be it known that we, JOHN Gnivns and JOHN H. BLnoo, citizens oi' the United States, residing in the city of Paterson, in the county oi.' Passaic and State of Few Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underground Electrical Conductors, fully described and represented in the following specification and the aceompanyin g drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to au improved system of laying electrical wires; and it consists, partly, in an improved means otl obviating the effects of induction, and partly in an improved well-holeand chamber, and in means for connecting the inclosing-pi'pes thereto.

rlhe invention will be understood by rcl'crence to the annexed drawings, in which Figure l is a plan ot a well-hole and its inclosed chamber. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section or" the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the system applied to certain streets and blocks of ground. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of au inclosingpipe containing a series of insulated wires. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of the pipes connecting two insulated chambers, I I, an induction-wire, C, being shown connected with the ends ot' the pipe and with the envelopes ol' the conducting-wires. Fig. b shows the end of the pipe B, indicated in Fig. 5, andV exhibits the means of connecting with t-he inductionwire. Fig. 7 is a side view ot' one end ofthe pipe B, showing the wire C keyed into a hole in the pipe.

A A are the wires which are intended to be laid in the pipe B l'or conducting electrical currents, and in our system are coated separately with an insulating material.

B is a pipe ortube, preferably of metal, and also lined with a coating of insulating material, as at E.

F is a coupling applied to serew-threads upon adjacent ends et' the pipe (in Fig. 5,) to join them together, but iianges and bolts may be used, if preferred.

G is a drag-wire, placed inside the pipe B when the latter is laid and its separate sections coupled together, and the wires A A are introduced inside the pipe by the use oi' the drag-wire, in the usual manner, at any subscquent time.

I-I is a metallic lining to a well-hole, placed at intervals along the line ol' the pipe B, to introduce and connect the wires A A at pleasure.

I is a wooden chamber, Fig. 2, or box, inserted within thelining H and separated there from by wooden cleats a a.

J J are sleeves large enough to iit very loosely around the pipe B, and are inserted watertight through coinciding holes in the walls or" the lining II and chamber I, as by a scrcw-thread. The pipes B, when laid in the ground, are arranged to project through the sleeves J into the chamber I, and are made water-tight in the ljoint through the sleeve by packing a gasket ol' suit-able material therein, or pouring in melted lead and calking the same tight, as shown at c c in Figs. 2 and 5. rlhe chamber I is shown in Figs. l and 2 as a reetangular box, which may be made ot' any size suitable for the operator to enter, and is provided with a removable cover, Z), held in place by a bridge, d, inserted across the inside of the lining H, and provided with a set-screw, e, to press down the lid, which latter is prei erably ritted to the mouth ot' the box or chamber with a watertight packing, as soft indiarubber. rlhe lining II is provided with lugs fte hold the bridge (l in place when in use, and the well-hole and its lining are covered by a plate, Ii, at a level with the street.

\Vith the construction described the pipes B are laid in sections between the separate well-holes, (a series of which is shown at I I I in Fig. 3,) and alter being properly united with adrag-wire inside them, and their extreme ends fitted to project into the chambers I, as desired, the packing c is applied around the pipes inside the respective sleeves J, and the entire system of pipes and chambers becomes a watertight and insulated receptacle for the conducting-wires A. This result is secured partly by making the chambers I of nonconducting material-as wood-and partly by lining the same with a water-prooi' and insulating composition. Such a composition has already been patented to one ot' the inventors hereof, and can be readily melted and applied in a fused state to the interior of the pipes B, as Well as to the inside of the chamber I, rendering the latter impenetrable to moisture and electrica-l currents. ThewiresA arelaidloosely in the pipes B, and are connected, at the chambers l, bysuitablebinding-posts, g, or any form of switch-board that may be preferred. Vith this construction new Wires can be introduced into the system at any time and the connections altered as may be required.

At L L in Figs. 4 and 5 is shorvn a construction for connecting service pipes and wires at any time after the pipes have been laid. At intervals, say, of twenty-five feet nipples 71 are inserted in the pipes B and covered with Water-tight caps M, lined', as Well as the nipples, with the insulating composition. Such openings do not interfere v'ith the operation ofthe pipes and Wires A, but are adapted at any time to permit the Withdrawal of a single Wire A and its connection With a telephone, lamp, motor, or other electrical apparatus at a given station. For this purpose the nipples ,It are arranged upon the pipes B with reference to future or probable demands, and the servicepipes N, for protecting the servicen'ire, can be readily connected with the screw-ni pple by a coupling, as shown at yi.

Having thus set forth the nature and operation of the devices ive employ in laying electrical conductorsfrve will describe the means shown in Figs. 5, t, and 7 to obviatc the effects of induction.

It is Well known that a coiulucting-u'irc coated with insulating material may act as a Leyden jar, the insulating substance acting as the glass of the jar, and the electric charge of the conducting-Wire inducing a charge of opposite electricity upon the outside ofthe coating. rlhe Wire and its non-condueting coating thus become a condenser, and a greater quantity of electricity must be put into it to charge it with a given potential. rlhe evil effects of this induction We obviate by providing a special conductor for the induced charge in the form of a naked wire at C, inside the pipe B, the ivire C being connected at both ends to the ground, and the coatings of all the inclosed wires A A being electrically connected with the same, as by connectingsstrips D.

To connect the Wire C, ivhich, for convenience, ive call the induction-Wire,77 ivith the ground most readily, We attach it by an electrical connection to both ends of the pipe B, which is made ol" metal, preferably, and, being laid directly inthe ground, furnishes the ground-connection required. At the left end. of Fig. 5 the ivire C is shown fastened in a binding-post, a, which is inserted through the insulating-lining E into the pipe D, rvhile the opposite end of the induction-Wire is shown inserted in a hole formed in the pipe inside the chamber l. To retain the wire in electrical connection with the metallic surface of such hole, a Wedge, o, may be inserted in the hole beside the Wire C, as shown in Fig. T, and the latter be kept firmly in its place.

The connection D may be formed of a thin strip of sheet-copper, and may be applied to the wire C and cach wire A separately, as shown at the left side oi Fig. 6, orbe wrapped around a considerable number of the wires A, and led thence to the induction-Wire.

It is obvious that this construction discharges the induced electricity from the surface of the insulating-coatings around the Wires A, and thus operates in the desired manner.

We are aware that it is not new to use a sel arate or naked wire to discharge induced electricity from an insulating-coating; but in the combinations heretofore devised each conductor has been furnished with a separate discharging-wire, or has been enveloped in a sheet-metal coating in contact rvith its Whole length. Our invention differs from these in employing only a single discharging-Wire to free a considerable number of conductors from their induced electricity, which We accomplish by the connections D. It also differs in employing such connections only at intervals, instead of using a continuous contact. as in other inventions, and it ivas expressly invented to avoid the twisting of the dischargi1ig-\vire around and among the main conductors. By avoiding this feature, which is common to nearly all such discharging devices, We are enabled to insert fresh conductors in a conduit at any time, and simultaneously utilize the discharging-wire previously provided. This is readily accomplished by add ing suitable connections, D, at any convenient point, While the means for discharging as vheretofore constructed have generally re quired provision in the process of manufacture. when they could he interwoven with the series of conductors permanently. In such construction additional conductors cannot be combined with those already inserted in a conduit, but require the same preparation with continuous discharging means, independent. of those inserted in the conduit at first.

By our construction the conductors are not necessarily formed into a cable or mass at all, and additional Wires can therefore be combined with them andthe discharging-wire at any time.

XVe therefore claim our improvement as follows: l

l. The means herein shown and described 'for discharging the induced electricity from the insulating-coatings of a series of electrical conducting-wires, consisting of the naked .vire C, laid parallel With the said series of conductors, and the connections D, united to the wire C at intervals and brought into contact rvith the several insulating-coatings, the Whole being closed in a metallic pipe, and the rvire C being connected to the pipe at intervals, substantially as herein set forth.

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2. The Combination, with the Well-hole linour hands in lie presence of two subscribing 111g H, of Jdie Wooden chamber I, insulated l Witnesses.

The eonibinu'oion7 with the Well-hole lin- 5 ing H and Wooden Chamber I, of the sleeves .l and the pipes B, secured therein; as and for the purpose set forth.

lu testimony whereof We have hereunto set J. H. BLEOO. Wirnes'ses:

'loBnuT l. Horrnn, WILLIAM W. Xlnugrn.

1 I therein7 substantially as shown and described. l TOHY GREYES i i r l l l l 

